Railroad-signal



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. H. BAKER.

RAILROAD SIGNAL.

(No Model.)

Patented Jan. 30, 1883. F591]. Y H" H T n nnqg H u u iLf illf EM"! u. PETERS Phuwulhogrlphen wmsnmn. n. c

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. H. BAKER.

' RAILROAD SIGNAL.

Patented Jan.30,1883.

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-. UNITE STATES PATENT GFFICEO AUGUSTUS H. BAKER, OF HARTFORD, ASSIGNOR ()F ONE-HALF TO HENRY L. PINNEY, OF'SOUTH WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT.

RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,296, dated January 30, 1883.

Application filed May 17,1882. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS H. BAKER, of Hartford, in thecounty of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain 5 new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Signals, of which. the following is a description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a plan view of my device as apl plied to a switch in a railroad-track. Fig. 2 is a side view of interior of a lever-stand, showing mechanism and connections. Fig. 3 is a view, partly in cross-section, of track and levecstand on plane denoted by line as to, Fig. 1.

I Fig. 4 is a diagram view of a series of leverstands, showing the method of connecting the mechanism of several stands with main signalwires operating each way from the extreme stands of the series along the track. In Fig.

29 4 only one of the connected signal-stands is shown.

My invention relates to devices used near a railroad-line to show, by signals displayed at suitable points, the condition of the track as 2 5 to safety for the passage of trains.

It consists of switch-locking and signal-operating mechanism operated simultaneously by means of a lever set at any convenient place of access for a switch in an-as near a junction,

' 3o aswitch,adraw-bridge,or the like-4n connection with signals placed at any required dis tance or distances from the lever-stand. This device is independent of the switch-throwing mechanism, whichmay be of any ordinary form. 55 In the accompanying drawings, the letter a denotes a railroad-track; b, a switch, (shown as a three-throw switch f) c, a branch track to one side of the main track; d, a branch to the other side of the same. At a convenient dis- 0 tauce on either side of the switch a leverstand, e,is securely placed, and from it, at about the level of the bottom of the switchrail, astout bar of iron,f, extends toward and under thenearest rail of the switch, and passes 5 through suitable bearings, g g, adapted to be secured'to the two nearest ties on either side of its path. The bar f is provided with \vardsff ,-arrangeti one on each side of and loosely holding the switch-rail, and it is so held in the bearings as to rotate through the agency of the lever h, attached by pivot t to the stand e, operating in a vertical plane, and pivotally connected by pitman 70 to the craukf on the inner end of the bar f,which passes through the socket e in the lever-stand.

In its function as a safety-lock for switches and the like my device operates as follows: hen in position, as shown in Fig. 3, the switch b cannot be thrown out of the main line, as one rail is held between the upturned 6o sides of the wards f f By throwing the lever it over, the rod is rotated and the wards are turned so as to lie in a plane just under the switch-rail. The switch can now be thrown I in any desired direction; but the lever it cannot be thrown back until the switch is set for the main track, any attempt to do so being resisted by the ward striking the switch-rail just over it. These wards, however, otter noobstruction tothe operation of the lever when the main track is continuous. The lever-stand contains other mechanism designed to operate signals. But one signal may be needed, and in that event the connections from the leverstand are made in but one direct-ion. In Fig. 2 signals each way from the stand are shown as connected, and in this event, on each side of lever 11, securely pivoted to the stand 6, are pulleys Ir k, over which operate chains or flexible cords Z Z, connecting the main signal-Wires 8a m m and suspended governor-weights n n. The lever h is attached to chain 1 by adjustable flexible connecting chain or cord 0, and to Z, at a point on the opposite side of the pivot, by

similar chain, 0. 8

At any desired distance either way from the lever-stand signal-stands p p are erected for the display of signals for the track. Each stand contains a T-shaped lever, q, pivoted to operate in a vertical plane, and pivotally con 0 nected by pitman s with an arm rigidly secured to the upright signalrod t, which bears a lantern-or other signal. The lower arm of the lever Q, as shown, is connected with the main signalwire m, by which the signal is operated from 5 the lever-stand. When the main track is continuousandtheswitchislockedthesignalsshow safety but as soon as the lever is thrown over to unlock the switch-rail the signal-wires m m are slackened by the lifting of the gov ICO ernor-weights through the agency of the connecting-chains, and the weighted levers in the signal-stands operate the signals and display danger. If several lever-stands are used,as

, may be the case when several switches are to be connected with the same signal or signals, the connections are made as shown in Fig. 4, the governor-weight being used only in the outer stands of the series. This governorweight pulls constantly on the main wire, and serves to compensate its expansion and contraction, the connecting-chain being so adjusted as to leave slack enough for these changes, and the weight also serves to operate the signals when the lever releases it on being thrown back.

It is obvious that when a signal is to be placed but one way from the lever-stand only one main wire and its operating-weight and connections are used, and also that the stand may be placed near a switch,station, railroadcrossing, or a bridge, and used for operating signals without regard to its use as a switchlocking device.

My device is intended to apply to any SWlIOll without regard to the particular switch-stand and connections used, and is independent of it. This constitutes one of the advantages of my invention, as the signals may be operated without disturbing the switcha feature of importance when anythingas a wreck-obstructs the operation of the switch. Another advantage is in the adjustability of the connecting-chains, whereby the amount of the pull of the lever may be regulated by changing the point of connection between the chains. The lever may be constructed to sweep any given arc, and the chain-connection made in accordance with the amount of-pull upon the main wires that may be required in view of their length or the possible elasticity of any of the connections.

I claim as my invention- 1. In arailwayswitch-signal,in combination, switch I), rotary locking-bar f, having wards ff lever-stand e, lever h, pitman k crank f connecting-chain 0, pulley k, governorweight a, chain Z, signal-wire m, and connected signal, all substantially as described.

2. In a railway switch-signal,in combination,

switch b, rotary locking-bar f, having wards ff and crank f pitman k lever-stand e, and lever h, connected with one or more signalwires, whereby signals. at a distance one or both ways along the line of track may be operated, all substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

AUGUSTUS H. BAKER.

Vitnesses:

GHAs. L. BURDETT, W. H. MARSH. 

